Disclaimer: This posting contains the inherent assumption that I believe in what this church I'm pastoring is all about.

Recently, some of the young people in our congregation who were raised in this church are "trying out their wings" in ways that frighten me. This is a typical phase that many young people go through. They want to come late and leave early, if they even come at all. They tend to avoid any non-obligatory activities. Further, they are seeking out friendships with other young people who, instead encouraging them towards spiritual growth, are having the opposite effect on their young, impressionable lives.
My initial reaction was one of dread. "What if we cannot keep them in attendance? What if they decide they no longer believe? Worse still, what if they give up altogether and abandon the solid principles upon which their happy families have been built?" I soon discarded that fear and replaced it with hope. Someone once said, "It's better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." We've (my colleagues and I) started having other activities and trying to include the youth in as many of them as we can.
Several other adults in the congregation became equally alarmed and started trying to do their part to encourage these youngsters to come in a little closer.
Evidently, something is working! We're not out of the woods yet, but the lines of communication are open. They seem to be more involved and excited about the things we are doing. I realize the time will come when they have to make a personal commitment that can stand the test of time, but until then, we'll keep praying for them, working with them and showing them the same love of God that inspires our own commitment.
Maybe my next posting will be a little more lighthearted.